DAVIS -- Before the trip started, Blackwater Bikes owner Roger Lilly explained a few key things about a Mountain Bike. “Well there's one important thing to really know and that's which brake operates which brake,” said Lilly. “If you grab the wrong one you can end up doing what we call an 'end-o'. So you want to remember that your left hand operates your front brake, your right hand operates your rear brake."

Roger explained a little more about the difference between a regular bike and a mountain bike. It mostly has to do with the suspension, or lack of, and the tread on the tires.

“Oh it's a fantastic way to get out and see West Virginia,” said Lilly. “You can get out and do a lot of things but you can cover a lot of territory on a bicycle. So in a day’s time we can go over to Canaan Valley State Park and back around in a matter of a few hours.”

Of course Mountain Biking is great exercise and more than 100 miles of trails can be accessed easily from the Davis area. The sport attracts everyone from hard-core racers to family-friendly riders.

“For families to ride, they can go out, they can find different terrains,” said Lilly. “You can do the nice gravel road, the bike path, the rail trail. There's stuff out there. There's actually trail-a-bikes that you can hook to an adult bike and make a tandem so a child doesn't have to be able to pedal but can enjoy it so it can be a really nice family sport.”

The crew at Blackwater Bikes makes it easy for even the most inexperienced biker to get started. After setting you up with the right equipment, they help you figure out what trails will suit your riding ability. Blackwater Bikes also makes Mountain Biking an inexpensive way to get out and see the Mountain State.

“Normally, a regular mountain bike, we start at $30 a day, we can do multiple day discounts,” said Lilly. “With a family we always give them a discount because if they need a little 20-inch bike it's definitely not the same rate. Then we have the higher-end bikes that we let out and those are normally $45 a day.